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Topic Review (Newest First)

04-14-2013 03:17 AM

Emmalina

Re: Raw Water Cooled for 35 Years?

If your going to flush I recommend you use a bucket fed by a tap as dockside tap pressure once blew all the seals in my cooling system after connecting it directly.

Tried the handle on a Volvo, not enough room to really swing it. And I think we had similar results on another boat, but this is the first time I've heard of someone actually getting it to work!

Yes I believe you did mention grown men tearing up.

There was excellent access to the front of the engine on Far Cry. I could sort of squat facing the motor and utilize my leg muscles and body mass to handle the vertical motions and that was enough to carry the momentum through the other parts of the revolution (insert 70's porn music here )

It really wasn't that bad. If the access were poor or I had to try and muscle it with just my arms, I truly doubt I'd be strong enough to do that. As mentioned earlier, the motor fires instantly and it really doesn't take much to turn over my old 15hp Yanmar when decompression levers are flipped. I used to bleed the fuel system that way with the starter. It seemed to spin 200-300 RPM. It was way easier than pumping that silly little lever on the lift pump!!! No tears were shed in the starting of the motor...

03-21-2013 01:30 PM

casey1999

Re: Raw Water Cooled for 35 Years?

My Yanmar 3gmd has the crank handle listed as a part (parts book), as I think most small Hp Yanmars list it. I do not think I have enough space to turn crank, but the battery powered drill you mention might work.

I also have fears of getting hurt if crank keeps spinning after engine start. My mother tells me stories how my gradfather cut his hands starting there crank start cars.

03-21-2013 10:46 AM

hellosailor

Re: Raw Water Cooled for 35 Years?

The handles, yes. Did I mention grown men crying? (G)

Tried the handle on a Volvo, not enough room to really swing it. And I think we had similar results on another boat, but this is the first time I've heard of someone actually getting it to work!

03-21-2013 10:41 AM

FarCry

Re: Raw Water Cooled for 35 Years?

It wasn't that bad. Fortunately that engine always started pretty easy with the electric starter motor, my preferred method!!!!

Yanmar provides a starting handle that fits on the bolt on the crank. It is sort of a one-way type socket that is designed to let go when the engine starts. It was on the boat when I bought it and is listed in the parts manuals.

Process I used.
1) Swear profusely that I hadn't gotten around to installing a dedicated starting bank sooner.
2) Search every nook and cranny for that goofy looking starting handle.
3) Drink a beer and come up with a plan.
4) Move decompression levers off
5) Crank engine over a couple of times to see what it's like
5a) In hindsight I probably should have closed the raw water intake. I didn't and got lucky.
6) Crank as hard as I could with both hands
7) Flip one decompression lever off. Cylinder fired immediately and handle came off crank.
8) Flip other decompression lever off. Other cylinder fired.
9) Close up engine compartment and pat myself on back. Feeling quite proud about now. Drink another beer and carry on like nothing ever happened. LOL

I think with the new high torque, high voltage cordless tools, one could possibly crank the motor over. I never tried. My biggest fear I had was that the the engine would fire and the crank handle would remain attached to the engine. That seems like a good way to break an arm, or wrist, or worse...

03-21-2013 10:13 AM

hellosailor

Re: Raw Water Cooled for 35 Years?

Memo: Never arm wrestel with Far Cry! (G)

Seriously, though...whenever the subject of hand cranking comes up, grown men cry. How did you get the engine to turn over, even decompressed, well enough to fire it up?? Simple wrench on the crank, or cord on the flywheel, or... ?

03-21-2013 09:23 AM

FarCry

Re: Raw Water Cooled for 35 Years?

Ran the original 1973 2QM15 raw water Yanmar until fall of 2012 in Far Cry. No hour meter so have no way of knowing how many hours were on it. Previous owner lived aboard for 15 years and had no solar so I know there were a lot battery charging hours. I had no issues with the motor other than parts were getting very hard to find and I assumed I was going to eventually need to replace something major. I ran across a financially distressed person with a rebuilt 2GM20 raw water cooled engine with transmission complete with all paperwork shrink wrapped on the pallet from the re-builder for $500. NO typo. Yes, I snatched that up and swapped motors. Ironically I spent far more than the $500 on new motor mounts, exhaust, hoses, coupling, fuel lines etc. in the process on installing it. Purrs like a top and the new owner is very pleased. A bad cell in a battery left me dead in the water just after I acquired Far Cry and I was able to use the decompression levers to hand crank it and get back into the marina. I love the KISS principle in the marine environment. I wouldn't hesitate to own another raw water cooled engine.

03-19-2013 07:11 AM

Minnewaska

Re: Raw Water Cooled for 35 Years?

Get a motor specific survey. Compressions are a must, not just if the guy has the gauges. If the core is in good shape, clean her out and replace all wearables to get off to a clean maintenance start.

Hours on a motor are only an indication. Ironically, low hour motors that sit for extended periods can be worse than well maintained high hour engines that are run routinely. A good mechanic can sort it out.

03-18-2013 11:34 PM

bristol299bob

Re: Raw Water Cooled for 35 Years?

36 yr old 2qm20h, raw water cooled, in a Bristol 29.9, 1500 hrs here.

keep the fuel clean and change the thermostat, impeller and zincs once a year and she will never skip a beat.

Beware of thinking simpler is better. That's how you wind up pulling the engine entirely.

The difference from 140F to 180F should not be a fire risk, even paper won't catch until 451F and that's a long way off. Heating the boat, yes, that's something else again. Poor insulation, poor ventilation, and no blower can all contribute to that. Even at 140F, you may want to run the blower after the engine is shut down, so it cools off the boat AND so it cools off the engine and prevents the oil from coking.

Or just pull the engine.

That was one of the problems in the VW Beetle, by the way. Air cooled engine, terribly inefficient. Simple, yes, reliable, maybe, but very inefficient.

I am not saying 180 F will cause a fire risk, but the hotter engine makes everything else in the engine compartment hotter. Things like the alternator, belts exhaust outlet, fuel in the fuel lines, elelectrical wiring and its insulation. The cooler these item run, the better for them and less risk of fire. I do not have a blower in my diesel engine compartment, and I do not think most diesels have a blower. I like being able to seal my boat up completely, should be able to take a roll over and only get some water in through from compainion way leakage.

Gasoline engines are required to have a blower, and due to lower ignition temp of gasoline, keeping engine and its compartment cool is even more important.

Air cooled engines are a whole nother ball game. Never liked them. Don't understand how one can maintain a constant engine temperature by blowing air. Never owned a volkswagon and even an air cooled porshe is just a glorified volkswagon- at least the air cooled models- on top of that, they sound like hell. My two cylinder lawn tractor sounds better than a 911. I always did like the look of the 911 Targa however.

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